Ring expander



oct. 27, 1925.

F. W. CHENOWETH RING EXPANDE R Original Filed March 10, 1921 /v VEN-ron:E W C'HENOWETH Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

FLOYD W. OHENOWETH, OF rERRY, IOWA.

RING EXPANDER.

Application led March 10, 1921, Serial No. 451,282.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known `that I, FLOYD W. CHENO- wn'rH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and resident 'of Perry, Dallas County, Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Ring Expander, of which the following is aspecication.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction fora ratchetfoperated multiple-screw device for expanding open rings suchas wheel rims, boiler sheets and the like. j v

A further object of this invention is to provide an improvedratchet-lever operating mechanism for a ring expander.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter setforth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawing, in whichh Figure 1 is a plan of my improved ring expandingdevice, a portion of the operating lever being broken away to economizespace. Figure 2 is a side elevation on a reduced scale, showing thedevice mounted on a supporting stand. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectionof the operating lever, on an enlarged scale. Figure 4 is across-section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the construction of the device as shown the numerals 10, 11 designatespaced parallel sills which may be of any suitable dimensions. Mountedtransversely on and supported in spaced parallel relation by the sills10, 11 are bars 12, 13; the bar 12 being fixed near its ends to thesills 10, 11 as by welding, and the bar 18 being slidable on the uppermargins of said sills. Pressure screws 14, are arranged in alinement andare threaded through central portions of the bars 12, 13 respectively.An adjusting and pressure member' -16 is arranged parallel with thepressure screws 14, 15 and has its end portions oppositely threaded andextending' loosely through smooth holes in the bars 12 and 13; and anadjusting, operating and pressure member 17 of similar form is mountedloosely through the opposite end portions of said bars, adjacent thesill 11. The ends of the bars 12, 1S and the outer ends of the screws14, 15, furnish siX spaced points for contacting and applying outwardpressure at times to a ring such as 18 which may be mounted in the planeof the bars 12,

Renewed February 27', 1925.

13 and screw devices, and may be supported by end portions of the sills10, 11 as shown in Figure 1. Y y

Blocks 19` 2O are threaded on opposite end portions of the member 16 andmeans is provided for holding said blocks against rotation'when the`member 16 is axis. In this instance the inner facesy of the bars 12, 13are formed with V-shaped notches, and the blocks 19, 20 are formed withV- shaped lugs 24 on their Outer` faces entering said notches. Similarblocks 21, 22 are threaded on opposite end portions of the screw member17. A retractile coil spring 23 is xed at its ends to central portionsof the bars 12, 13 and tends to hold the bar 13 toward the rigid oriixed bar 12, and also to cause the V-shaped lugs 24 to enter thenotches of said bars. When so engaged the blocks 19, 20, 21, 22 are heldagainstturning and the screw members 16, 1.7 are caused to travel withrespect to the bars 12, 13 `when rotated on their axes. The threading ofthe members 16, 17 through the blocks 19, 20, 21, 22 and the engagementof the lugs 24 of the blocks with the notches in the bars 12, 13constitutes a screw connection between said members 16, 17 and the bars,by which the bars have a freedom of movement relative to the screwmembers.

Operating devices A, B are provided for rotating the respective screwmembers 16, 17 I manually, and said devices are alike in construction,eXcept that the lever of the meniber 17 preferably is considerablylonger than that of the member 16. The operating device B is shown indetail in Figures 3 and 4 and will now be described.

Formed on or fixed tov the central portion of the screw member 17 is aratchet hub or boss 25 formed with peripheral ratchet teeth and notchespreferably square in cross-section. A sleeve 26 is fitted to the ratchetboss 25 and is adapted for rotative movement thereon; and a tubularlever 27 is formed on or fixed to said sleeve and communicates therewithat one end. A plunger 28 is mounted in the tubular lever 26 and has itsouter end projecting therefrom and provided with a head 29, while theinner end of said plunger projects within the sleeve 26 and is providedwith a ratchet dog 30 adapted to engage the teeth of the boss 25 androtate said boss and the member .17 in one direction. The plunger andratchet dog 30 are reversible so that turned on its .llO

the boss and member 17 may be selectively rotated in either direction asdesired. A cap '31 is provided 'or the outer end oit the tubular lever2T and is provided with a hole lirough which the plunger ZS extendsloosely. An expansive spring E32 is coiled around a portion ot theplunger ZS and impinges at one end the inner tace ot the cap 31 and atits other end a collar 2li-l tixed to said plunger, whereby the dog- 30is yieldingly pressed to engagement with the teeth of the boss 25, Thecap 231 is valso formed with a transverse slot adapted to receive a pinmounted through the plunger 28, which controls the relative position ofthe ratchet dog 30 as to selective operation of the boss and member 1i'iu opposite directions. When it is desired to reverse the direction ofrotation the plunger is withdrawn partially from the tubular lever 27 byoutward pull on the head .29 against the spring 32, thus releasing thedog 250 from engagement with the ratchet teeth ot 'the boss Q5 and thepin from the slot il-l, T hen the plunger is turned through an are otone hundred and eighty degrees and allowed to move inwardly of thetubular lever under pressure of the spring 32, the ratchet C d thusbeing reversed and being in positi ,n to operate the toothed boss andmembeil 1T in the opposite direction.

In practical operation the device is mounted within an open ring, suchas 1S, which is to be expanded. In the case of a narrow ring, such as adetachable wheel rim, one ot the devices is employed, and mayconveniently be mounted on a supporting stand, suoli as B6, as shown inFigure 2, and be arranged thereon in horizontal position. In the case ota wide ring, suoli as a boiler sheet, two otl the devices may beemployed, one at each end or the sheet, and may be placed therein invertical planes or in any other convenient position. In either case thedevice is so arranged that the operating device Il, having the longerlever, is adjacent to and may be. operated through the opening in thering, as indicated in Figure l. The screws 141, 15 are adjusted manuallyin the bars 1Q, 13, by rotation, until their outer ends are in contact,at diametrically opposite points, with the inner :tace ot the ring. Theinembers 16, 17 are also adjusted, by operation ot the adjusting devicesA and ll, until the ends o'tl the bars 12, 13 are in substantial contactwith the inner tace ot the ring, the bar 1?) in such operation slidingon the sills 10. 11. Then pressure is applied by operation of thedevices A and B, conjunctively or alternately, the tubular levers 2T otsuch devices being oscillated through convenient arcs to cause theratchet dogs 30 to engage and rotate the toothed bosses 25, and throughthem the members 16 and 17.

The longer handle of the operating device B is possible because ot thesuggested arrangement whereby it may project through the opening` ot thering; and is desirable in that it provides greater lever advantage atthe point 01"' greatest tension and resistance of the ring as expansiontakes place.

I do not desire to be understood limiting myself to the preciseconstruction set forth, as modiiications may `,be employed withoutdeparting from the spirit ot my invention.

Iv claim as my invention- 1. A ring-expanding device of the classdescribed, comprisingl a support, a bar ixed to said support, a barparallel with the first bar and slidable on the` support, separatepressure devices adjustably mounted at central portions ot therespective bars, pressure devices mounted loosely through both o't saidbars adjacent theyrespective ends thereof, said*last-namedy pressuredevices having opposite screw connections with therespective bars, andlever means tor rotating` the lastnanied pressure devices.

2. A ring-expanding device of the class described, comprising a pair ofbars arranged substantially parallel and relatively movable laterally,separate pressure ldevices adjustably carried by central portions of therespective-bars, pressure rods mounted on opposite sides of saidpressuredevices and each extending loosely through and having oppositescrew connections with each of: said bars,and means for selectivelyoperating said pressure rods in either direction.

3. A ring-expanding device, comprising a pair of bars arrangedsubstantially parallel and relatively movablelaterally. separatepressure devices adjustably carried by said bars, a pressure rodvarranged transversely of said bars and having av freedom of movement atopposite sides of its center relative thereto, and having screwconnections acting on said bars, and means for operating said pressurerod in either direction, whereby sai-d bars are simultaneously caused toadvance or recede relative to said center when said rod is rotated. l

4. A ring-expanding device, comprising a pair of barsr arrangedsubstantially parallel and relatively movable laterally', separatepressure devices adjustably carried by said bars, a spring devicetending to draw said bars together, va pressure rod arrangedtransversely ot' and slidable relative to said bars, saidv rod boingoppositely threaded at its ends, members threaded on opposite endportions 'of said rod and engaging the respective bars, and means Jforrotating said rod in oppositedirections.

y Signed atDes Moines, in the county ot Poll: and State .of Iowa, this27th day oi December, 1920.

